Thief in the night
by borvaintavers86
Summary: This is an AU. Betrayal,it can lead to some strange sitches. Join me as we delve into the mystery of who was betrayed, for what purpose, what happens in the fallout, and discover a power that should have never been released. Rated T for now, may go up.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer- I do not own Kim Possible or anything besides the plot. Don't bother suing me as I have no money.

Authors Note- This is an AU and will eventually be Kigo. If that offends you, there's a handy thing called a back button on your webpage. Please use it. If it doesn't, then by all means, continue!

Moonlight shone through the castle windows, bathing the hallway in its' soft light. Suits of armor stood an unending guard over the hallway entrusted to them. The stillness of the night was broken as a shadow detached itself from the darkness around it. A pair of green eyes stared down the hallway, looking for any possible traps. Moving cautiously down the hallway her eyes swept the ground and walls for any irregularities. Her ears straining to hear the slightest sound.

She allowed herself a small smile as she made it to the locked door at the end of the hallway. With a quick glance around to make sure that she was still alone, she reached down to pull out a lock pick set. A few seconds of staring at the lock and a quick perusal of her picks was all she needed as she selected the ones she needed and got to work. Within a few seconds she heard the satisfying click as the lock slide open and granted her access to the next stage of the castle.

Slipping the tools back into their place, she carefully cracked the door open and peaked in. There was another hallway, this one windowless. Several torches burned in their scones, giving off a flickering light. At the far end, a flight of stairs leading up. She smiled, just a few more minutes and she would be at her prize. As she pushed the door open enough to slide through, she heard a sound that made her freeze for a second. Metal boots clanging their way down the stairs. _ "Shit! The guards were already supposed to be gone! Did someone tip them off to her plan?" _ She thought franticly, regardless, she had to hide fast!

Moving quickly, she slipped through the door before turning quickly and locking it. _"Twenty seconds! Come on move it!" _She sprinted over to the stairs, her leather boots making no more noise than a leaf hitting the ground. As she got closer, she quickly calculated the distance and nodded once. With a leap, she sprung into the air. Turning quickly she used her arms and legs to stop herself before she slammed into the wall. With her arms and legs locked into place, holding her in the upper corner of the bisecting walls near the stairs, she waited for the guards to pass her by.

As the sounds of the boots drew nearer, she adjusted herself so that she could get to her sword and dagger easier. She held her breath when the two guards came into the roof. Carrying halberds and clad in plate mail, she could easily see the royal symbol of a griffin standing on a rock roaring into the night sky proudly displayed on their cloaks. The sneer that crossed her face would have killed the two guards if they had seen it. Her eyes smoldering with the hate that clutched at her whenever she saw that symbol.

When the guards reached the halfway point down the hall, she let herself fall to the ground, only a whisper of sound from when she landed. Watching the guards to see if they had been alerted to her presence. Another sneer at the guards' ineptness, there was no way they could hear her over the rattles and creaks of their armor. Turning, she darted up the stairs, pausing to await the sound of the door opening and closing as the guards continued on their rounds. When she was satisfied that the guards where gone she continued up the stairs.

She cautiously made her way up the stairs, the guards would know about any traps and be able to bypass them with ease, but she had to be careful and alert for them. As she rounded another turn in the stairs she came to the door that sought to keep her from her prize. Moving extra carefully, this was the point where a lot of thieves messed up, they rushed that last few step and set off the alarm. Reaching into a pouch at her side, she pulled a few hairs that she had pulled from a horse's tail earlier. A grin crossed her face when she saw one fall across the nearly invisible trip wire a few feet from the door. Stepping over the wire, she made sure to also avoid the pressure plate in the floor. Shaking her head at the laughable security measures, she made it to the door.

This would be a challenge, the door was sure to be trapped. With a grin, she pulled her lock pick set back out and once again selected the tools she needed. She had seen this kind of lock before, it had a tumbler at the front that if you didn't push up on when you first started, it would raise a screech that would make a banshee envious. She almost giggled at the thought but stopped herself in time. Just because that was the only security measure on the door was no reason to get cocky.

Focusing back on the task at hand she quickly had the door unlocked and open. With a smug grin on her face she put her tools away and slowly opened the door a few inches. Peeking through the crack in the door, she could see into the room. She could see four pillars in the room all situated around a pedestal in the center. There it was, the object she had come here for. On the pedestal in the middle of the room with a single shaft on moonlight illuminating it, was a sword.

The sword was not much to look at, just a plain old broadsword with a battered scabbard next to it, but she knew better. She knew what this sword was capable of granting its' wielder, even if the fools who owned it could only grasp at the edges of its' meaning. If they knew its' true power, they would have never kept it in such an easily assessable place. _"Oh well, their stupidity is my gain."_

Moving into the room, she gently shut the door behind her. As she made her way towards the sword, she kept a look out for any last minute traps. As she got closer to the sword, she noticed a thin wire running from the sword to one of the pillars in the room. _"Thank you whoever put that window there. Might not have seen it if it wasn't for the moonlight." _ She tracked the wire to where it meets the pillar. "_Hmmm, looks like if I just pull the sword the pillar will collapse and probably take down the whole ceiling with it."_ She tapped her chin in thought for several seconds as she tried to come up with a plan.

She had it. She quickly pulled a nail from her pouch and drew her dagger. Holding the nail under where the wire connected to the pillar. She said a silent prayer that this would work and not bring the roof down on her head. When the nail was far enough in, she reached into another pouch and pulled out a small clamp. _"Please let this work."_ With that, she attached to clamp the nail and the wire. With a deep breath, she moved to the sword and gently grasped the wire. With another glance at the pillar, she raised her dagger and sliced through the wire. She shut her eyes and waited for the ceiling to fall.

After a few seconds, she cracked open an eye and breathed a sigh of relief. It had worked! Sheathing her dagger, she moved her hand to the sword. She reached out one of her hands and slowly ran it down the sword, caressing it almost like a lover. Her hand moved from the bottom to the hilt before pausing. Slowly, almost reverently, she gripped the handle and raised it from the platform. With a satisfied smirk, she quickly strapped it to her back. Reaching into another pouch, she produced her calling card. As she was placing it on the pedestal, a voice spoke from the darkness. "Hello Princess." The jade fox slipped from her fingers as she turned to face the voice.

A/N-Well, there you have it. Like it? Love it? Want to hunt me down and chop off my fingers so I can never unleash such an abomination onto the world? Well, I won't know unless you review. So, please review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Standard Disclaimer- **Once again, I own nothing but the plot and a dated, though still nice PC. Kim Possible is trademarked to Disney, blah blah blah. You know the drill. On with the story! Once again, italics denote thoughts.

"Hello Princess." Those two simple words reverberated in her head as she turned to face the figure that had spoken. Standing in between two pillars was the last person she had thought to see tonight. "Hello." She bit the word out, hoping to portray displeasure, though she actually felt none, and hide her shock at the sight of the other. The other figure let out a laugh at her tone, before stepping towards the thief. With a scowl, the thief held her ground, but let her hand fall to the sword hilt on her belt. "What do you want?" She growled at the new comer. Even though she couldn't see the other's face, she knew that they had that insufferable smirk going full force. "Is that any way to treat an old friend?" As she spoke she reached over and lit one of the torches, with a roar, the rest of the torches in the room flared to life.

The thief blinked her eyes at the sudden light, when her eyes had adjusted she could see that she had been right. She did indeed have her damnable smirk on her face. She could see that the other woman was dressed like her, custom leather armor that hugged her frame but allowed her the freedom of movement that was crucial in a fight. Her eyes continued their exam while the other woman stood there and let her. She had her hair tied back to keep it out of her way, held back in a high ponytail. She stood with her hip cocked and one fist planted on it. She was just as she remembered her, even though it had been several years since she had last seen her. Arrogant, proud "Ya about done staring Pumpkin?" Impatient.

With a sigh, the thief reached up and pulled her mask off. Fire red hair spilled down her back and across her shoulders. She reached up and moved the hair that had fallen over her shoulders to her back. "Shego. To what do I owe this unexpected surprise?" Kim asked, staring at her long time arch foe. "What? I can't just stop by to see how my favorite red head is doing?" Shego asked with mock innocence. She even had the audacity to stare at her with doe eyes. Kims scowl came back full force. "Shego, don't push me." She growled out. Shego laughed and held up her hands in surrender. "Ok, ok. You should wipe that look off your face, it might freeze like that. This would be a tragedy for such a pretty face." She laughed again when Kims cheeks tinged pink. "But seriously, I had heard some rumors about you and decided to see if they were true. I guess they were." Shego raked her eyes up and down Kims' body, a gleam in her eye. "I must say Princess; you've taken care of yourself. It would seem that being a thief suits you."

Kim felt her cheeks flush red at Shegos' blatant staring. She frowned and shook her head to focus again. _Focus Possible! You've got the sword, now it's time to get out of here. This is no time for a reunion! _Looking back at Shego and determinately meeting her eyes she drew herself to her full height. "As much as I'd like to stay and catch up with you Shego, I really must be going. So unless you're here to stop me, goodbye." Her only reply was a smirk as Shego walked towards the pedestal and picked up the jade fox that Kim had dropped, turning it over in her fingers. She looked back at Kim for a moment before glancing back down at the fox. With a sigh she placed the fox back onto the pedestal. "I'm not here to stop you Kimmie. I heard about what happened to your family." Kim went rigid and her face twisted into a mask of pain as a flood of memories came unbidden to her mind. Her brothers, arrows all over in their bodies, lay on the path to her home. Her father, sword still in hand at the entrance. But the worse was her mother, laying in the house and _NO! ENOUGH!_ She shook her head violently and looked up to glare at Shego, only to find her standing right in front of her. As she looked into her eyes, she saw something there she never thought to see, compassion. That in itself was almost as shocking as seeing Shego for the first time in several years. "I'm here to help you Kimmie, to help you anything that I can."

Kim stared into her eyes, trying to find any hint of deceit, any clue that Shego was lying about her intentions. She saw nothing but honesty shining back at her. "Ok, ok Shego. First though, we need to get out of here. Then we can seal the deal after we're long gone." Kim said as she headed to the door. She still had awhile before the guards came back, even with the unexpected conversation with Shego. She glanced back to make sure Shego was following her, and just like a second shadow she was right behind her. With a nod of her head, Shego indicated for her to continue. Turning back towards the door she cracked it open to check if anyone was out there. As expected, there wasn't, she opened the door further to allow Shego and herself to slip through. Once through, she turned back to the door and reset the lock and trap before moving and collecting the hairs she had dropped earlier. As she was doing all this, Shego watched with an approving eye. _Pumpkin sure does know what she's doing. I wonder who taught her how to do all this?_ When Kim motioned for her to follow she fell into step behind her.

Moving swiftly down the stairs and through the areas she had navigated to get her prize, Kim stopped only once to glance back at the castle. It was an impressive structure, standing on a mountain top overlooking the hills and valleys that surrounded it. _Soon, soon I'll have everything I need. Don't worry Mom and Dad, I'll punish those responsible._ "Kimmie, we need to go." The hushed whisper pulled her from her dark thoughts. Shego was hanging on the rope that trailed over the battlements and to the ground below them. Turning back to face her new partner Kim nodded and grabbed hold of the rope and slide over the battlements. Once on the ground, they slipped away into the cover of darkness. As they crested a hill, they head the alarm being raised. The theft had been discovered, with a grin, the two thieves moved faster and disappeared into the darkness of the night.

**A/N- Well, there you have it. Kim was the thief, though that probably wasn't too shocking to find out. Hopefully they weren't too out of character, except Kim with the whole being a thief obviously. Got this up rather quicker than I thought I would so yay to me on that! Well, now it's your turn. Did I do a good job with them? Did I butcher them horribly? Well, I won't know unless you review! So please review. Laterz!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Standard Disclaimer- I do not own Kim Possible or any related characters. I do own the plot.**

A/N- I have a Beta!! How awesome is that? Love Robin is my Beta and she is awesome. She really helped me get this chapter in shape. Hopefully the action is smoother and not so choppy. You should also go check out her works as they all totally rock. To everyone who has read and reviewed, added me to their favorite author, story alerts and so on, thank you so much! To everyone who's reading this, thanks as well. Enough rambling, hope you like it and on to the story! 

**P.S. All mistakes are mine, not LR. Check out The Worst Possible Sitch. It's awesome. **

Betty Director stared at the jade fox statue on the pedestal. This was the third theft this particular perpetrator had performed and for the life of her she could not figure out the reasoning. The first item to be stolen was a breastplate from a minor noble house in South Wales; the second had been a pair of gauntlets from another's in Sussex. The third was the sword which once rested on the pedestal.

"Will, what do you make of this thief?" she asked her second, Will Du. Even though a foreigner, he had proven himself and rose quickly through the ranks to become her most trusted adviser. "Honestly Ma'am, I have no idea. I can see no connection between any of the items or why this perpetrator would be so interested in acquiring them," Will said with a shrug as he went over the scene, trying to recreate what had happened. So far, he was coming up with nothing.

"It would appear that this 'Jade Fox' knows something that we don't. Though what that is is beyond me. Perhaps the Fox merely likes the aesthetic beauty of the items?" Will said as he studied the nail driven into the pillar. He let out an exasperated sigh when he saw it was a nail anyone could get from a blacksmith.

"Or maybe they are testing themselves. Hitting easy targets and stealing items of little value before moving onto bigger prey. It would not be the first time something like this has happened," Betty said while she continued to stare at the Jade Fox. _Who are you? Why are you stealing these things? Why leave these statues behind? Is it to mock us? To let us know that you exist and don't plan on stopping? Well, we'll stop you. I don't know what game you're playing yet, but I'll figure it out and when I do, you will pay for your crimes._

"Ma'am? Ma'am, did you hear me?"

Betty was pulled from her thoughts by Will's further comments. "No, what did you say?"

"I said that we're all done here. It's the same as the other thefts, nothing left behind except the Fox statue and a nail. Though no other nails were found at the previous two scenes, so I guess it's a little different." Will said as he stood next to his superior. He was used to his boss getting lost in her thoughts and he would have to pull her back to reality. But he never begrudged her for that because he knew that when she went off like that she usually came up with something to help the case.

"Alright, let's get out of here and let the Duke get back to his life," Betty said as she walked forward and picked up the statue. She stared at it for a few seconds before turning and striding from the room. "Well, you heard her! Everyone move out and head back to the Castle," Will commanded the few people who were left in the room. He stared down those who shot him dirty looks, envious of his position. As the last agents left the room, Will turned and surveyed the scene one last time. It looked rather bare with just the empty pedestal with a beam of sunlight illuminating it. He turned and pulled the door shut, and with a click, the room was once again shrouded in silence.

**The Previous Night.**

As the two thieves made their way through the darkness towards the horse that Kim had stashed, Shego could not help but watch her as she glided like a wraith through the trees. _She really has grown into a beautiful woman. Her skills have grown as well, I never would have guessed that Pumpkin would become a thief. I had always hoped, but never thought it would become a reality._ A small smile made its way across her mouth as she remembered some of her daydreams. Of herself and Kimmie robbing the world blind. She came back to reality to see the redhead moving towards a small clearing in the trees. She saw a horse standing in the clearing, contentedly munching on the grass.

"So Pumpkin, I don't suppose there's another horse for me to ride is there?" Shego asked as they entered the glade. It was a nice little clearing, with a few flowers scattered about and green grass illuminated by the moonlight. There was even a small brook babbling its way merrily through.

Kim looked back at the pale green thief for a second before focusing once again on her horse. Black as a starless midnight, the proud Arabian had been a gift from a very grateful Sheik whose son she had saved from bandits. Unable to keep from smiling at her pride and joy, she cooed while approaching him. Lifting his head the proud animal uttered a soft and happy whinny at the sight of her. Trotting over, he nuzzled Kim, allowing her to run her hand through his mane.

Shego watched the interaction with an amused smile. The sight of Kim petting her horse while cooing was almost cuter than she could stand. "Well Pumpkin, aren't you going to introduce me?" She asked, trying to keep the amusement from her voice but not quite succeeding.

Kim looked back at Shego with a grin on her face lighting up her eyes. The pale woman could almost reach out and touch the happiness flowing off the lithe redhead and she could not help but smile back.

"Sorry, Shego meet Askari, Askari meet Shego." Kim introduced her newest companion to her old one.

At the horse's name, the pale thief raised her eyebrow. "Askari? Where did you come up with that name?"

Kim shrugged as she turned back to her horse. "I didn't, the Sheik who gave him to me named him. It means soldier in Arabic. I liked the way it sounded so I kept it." She moved to his side, placing a foot in one of the stirrups and hoisting up onto his back. "In answer to your earlier question, no, I do not have another horse for you to ride. So, your options are run alongside me or ride in the saddle behind me. Askari is strong enough to carry both of us to my safe house. Your choice, but make it quick, I'd rather not be here when the search party comes."

Shego grinned, moving quickly and hoping up behind her. With arms wrapped tightly around the smaller woman's waist, a smug grin planting itself on her face when she heard the redhead's sharp intake of air as she pressed her front against her back. Kim felt her face flush, grateful the woman behind her could not see it or she would get teased mercilessly. With a few soft clicks she set Askari into motion, heading for her safe house.

By the time they reached the house, Kim was ready to kill Shego. The whole time they had been riding, the irritating woman had been intentionally rubbing herself against her back. Whenever they hit a bump and were jostled, she would kiss the back of her neck, claiming it was an accident. And her hands! They were everywhere, running up and down her sides, resting on her legs, fingers playing with the straps to her armor._ I should have known better and made Shego run alongside me._

As they came into the yard, Shego was actually disappointed. She had been having a blast taunting the redhead. She had never known anyone who could sustain a blush for that long but damn if Kim did not do it. She was curious to know if it was full body or not. She had her doubts, if only because having that much blood at the surface of your skin and away from the things that needed it would have caused Kim to pass out.

The house was a normal sized cottage, complete with thatch roof and a chimney on one side. A small barn with an adjacent corral was a little further back. It was built out of stone and seemed to be in rather good shape.

Kim led them up to the front of the house before she trusted herself to speak. "There's a candle just inside the door and wood in the fire place. You can get that started while I take care of Askari." She looked straight ahead the whole time, gripping the reins tightly in her hands.

"I don't need a candle. I'm my own candle." A glowing hand was raised to emphasize her point.

"Fine, then just go and light the candle so I can see. I'll be along as soon as I'm done."

With a quiet chuckle, Shego slid from her perch, making sure to trail one hand along the base of Kim's back. She grinned as she felt the shudder pass through the redhead and made her way to the cottage, one hand glowing to light the way.

Kim scowled at the pale green woman's back until she disappeared inside. Turning with a sigh she headed towards the barn. Leading Askari into his stall, she began the process of getting him ready for the night. As she worked she began talking.

"Why do you suppose she's back?" she asked while removing his bridle. "Do you think she really wants to help me?" The straps being loosened on the saddle. "I hope so. I could really use the help," as she put his feed bag on.

"Why? Why am I feeling these things? I thought I had gotten over this when I left. How can she still have this affect on me after so long?" Running the brush down his back as she pondered. Finally, with no answers to her questions to be had from Askari and being done with grooming, she headed towards the house, determined to get the answers to her questions.

**A/N- There you have it. Better? You know the drill, R&R and get a response! **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N- Well, here's the next chapter, sorry it took so long to get up but I had alot of trouble getting everything to sound right. Lots of talking in this chapter. Once again Beta read by the wonderful LoveRobin, all mistakes found are purely mine and not hers'. Alright, enough chit chat, on to the story!**

**Standard Disclaimer- I own nothing but the plot, everything else belongs to Disney.**

Kim walked back to her safe house still mulling over the questions she had no answers to. Opening the door and striding in she noticed Shego had lit the candle on the table but was nowhere in sight.

"Hey Kimmie, you got anything to eat besides cheese?" The sardonic voice of the pale thief coming from the kitchen let her know where Shego was.

"Yeah, there should be some meat in there somewhere. I have to put this sword away and then I'll join you," she said as she moved towards her bedroom.

"Alright, make it snappy."

Rolling her eyes as she walked into her bedroom Kim made a quick scan of the room, seeing that everything was where it should be, she moved to the dresser and with a quick glance to make sure Shego was not watching, moved it to the side revealing a trapdoor underneath.

Pulling the door open she quickly dropped down into a small area underneath her floor. It was not a very big space, no bigger than an average sized closet. It contained only an armor stand with what looked like an eclectic assortment of armor and a painting of Kim with her family hanging from the wall. Pausing only briefly to look at the painting she moved to the armor stand and attached the sword around the middle of the armor.

Stepping back she looked at what she had amassed so far. She had the breastplate, gauntlets, greaves and now the sword. All she needed now was the vambraces, cuisses, ax, and helmet. The armor for her arms, legs, the ax and helmet, then she would have her vengeance.

"Kimmie? You about done in there?" Hearing Shego calling she quickly moved back, pulling herself out of the small underground chamber and moving the dresser back into its original place.

"Coming Shego, no need to worry." She assured, walking back into the dining room to see the pale green thief sitting at the table with a small meal of cheese, meat, and wine with two filled goblets waiting alongside settings placed facing each other. Taking a sip of the wine she let out an appreciative sigh. "This is really good Pumpkin. Where'd you get it?"

Kim sat down and pulled her goblet to her, giving it a sniff before taking a small sip. "Hmmm, I think that I stole this when I took the gauntlets. I'd heard that Sir Tybalt had the best wine in the region. For once, the rumors were correct." With a slight grin she took another sip before getting straight to business.

"Now then Shego, first things first. Just how exactly were you planning on getting away if I hadn't agreed to let you come with me?"

Leaning back in her chair and taking a slow sip of her wine, trademarked smirk firmly in place, the elder of the two answered. "Why Princess, I knew you wouldn't turn me away so why would I need another getaway plan?" In truth, even if Kim had said no Shego had simply planned on following the redhead home anyway.

Kim let out a huff and rolled her eyes. _Of course Shego would be that arrogant, never doubting herself or even having a backup plan._ "Alright, fine. I don't know why I'm surprised by that, I should have expected it."

"Well, it's not like you've ever been able to resist my charms," The pale thief said, hiding her smile behind her wine glass, but she still gave her favorite redhead a salacious wink.

Feeling a blush dusting her cheeks, Kim cleared her throat and moved on to the next point in her questioning of the dark-haired vixen. "So, do you really want to help me?"

A raised eyebrow and a frown were her only answers. "Right, stupid question, you wouldn't be here if you didn't."

"Damn straight I wouldn't."

"Ok, so why choose now to show yourself? It's not like we parted on the best of terms so why seek me out?" This was the question she really wanted answered. Even though she was the one who left without a word, she still wanted to know the answer.

"Honestly? Because it's taken me this long to track you down. You're a rather difficult person to find when you don't want to be. I think you're with your family, then you don't come back and I find out your family is dead and you're missing. I never got a why you'd left or even if you were still alive." Even though she was talking like it did not bother her, Kim knew she had hurt Shego deeply by disappearing like she had.

"I'm sorry," She said in a tiny voice, unable to meet the dark-haired thief's gaze she stared at her goblet. "I had to leave; I couldn't tell anyone where I was going."

"Why?"

That one simple word nearly broke Kim's heart, in it; she could hear all the pain and anguish she had caused. All the worry and stress that her four year absence had brought on Shego. Instead of answering the question the redhead stared at her drink before downing it in a single gulp. "Shego, how much do you know about my family?"

The woman in question raised her eyebrow. _Hmm, how much do I really know about Kim's family?_ "Well, I know that your father was a Duke of, um, some small place up North," Seeing Kim nod, she continued. "And that your father, mother, and two brothers were killed and that you stand to inherit the title. So why did you run? I just don't understand Kimmie." She said, pleading with her eyes.

Kim stared at her empty goblet, seemingly lost as she gazed at the drops remaining. "I ran, because somebody, I still haven't found out who, assassinated my family. We're next in line for the throne and with the King heirless, and coming closer to death every day, it looked more and more like we were going to rule. But, somebody had other plans," Her voice became bitter as she clutched at her goblet, reliving all the emotions from finding her family dead.

"They killed my family to remove us from their path to the throne. With us dead, the next in line is my cousin Larry, but after he learned about what happened he reinforced his security to ensure that he's practically untouchable. He's next in line and I have to find the killers before they strike again. That's why I disappeared, why I didn't tell you where I was going. They'd already killed everyone else I loved; I just couldn't take the chance that they'd find out about you too. So I ran, to try and keep you safe, I ran like a coward." Bitterness choking her as she said the last words.

Shego simply sat and listened as Kim told her story, she had already known that Kim was next in line to be Queen but she still did not understand why she had ran and why she had not sought out her help. That, more than anything else, hurt the worse. The woman she loved did not trust her enough to come to her for help. "Why didn't you come to me? I would have done anything to help you, you know that damn it! I wouldn't have turned you away!" She slammed her fist down on the table, making Kim jump in surprise.

"I was scared; I didn't know what to do. Whoever planned this knew when my family would be most vulnerable, when they'd be easiest to kill. They struck when we were at the summer home, with only a light contingent of guards. I was out hunting; otherwise, I would have been killed as well." She stopped when she noticed Shego's face was twisted with pain and anger.

"Is that why you didn't tell me? You thought I was in on it?"

"NO! No! I never thought that I swear! When I found the bodies, the only thing I could think to do was run to you. But when I got there, I started to worry about the danger I was bringing to your doorstep. The rest of my family was dead, I couldn't bear the thought of you dying because of me, of something I brought. So I ran. I fled the country. I told myself it was only temporary, that I'd be back within a few weeks. But, then a few weeks became six months, six months became a year and before I knew it a few weeks had turned into four years."

Kim watched Shego's face, trying to see what she was feeling but the pale green thief's face was unreadable, no emotion showed, only a blank mask. She began to fidget as the elder woman slowly swirled her drink, never breaking eye contact.

"Ok Pumpkin, I believe you did what you thought was right. I sure as hell don't agree with what you did, but I can't change the past. So I'll just have to do what I can now. Now then, I think it's time you told me about what you were doing for four years in another country." Shego said with a glare, but the slight smile on her face showed she was not angry.

The lithe redhead breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Shego was not going to yell at her anymore because of what she had done. She felt bad enough about it without having the dark-haired vixen throwing what she had done in her face.

"Ok, so, when I first left, I didn't know where I was going or what I was going to do when I got there. All I knew was that I had to get out of England before they found me. So I left as soon as I could, hoping to beat who ever might be chasing me to the coast. I did. So before I knew it I was in France with no money and no plan," She stood up from her chair, refilling her cup and grabbing the bottle before moving to her sitting room.

"We should get comfortable, this is a rather long story and these chairs aren't as comfortable as the ones in here," she said as she led the way, sitting down on one of the chairs and motioning Shego into the other one. "Ok, so where was I? Ah yes, France. So when I first arrived in France I had no idea what I was going to do or even how I was going to live,"

"Great planning Pumpkin," came from a smirking Shego.

"Hush, I know it wasn't the best of plans. May I continue?" the redhead asked with a slight huff.

Shego raised a finger to her chin in mock thought before giving an imperious nod. "You may," she said with all the regality and pomp of a Queen bestowing a great favor. Kim rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Alright Your Majesty. Anyways, when I first got there I didn't know what I was going to do. I spent a couple days just wandering around trying to figure that out. Eventually I found work as a barmaid and…."

"Wait wait wait. You were a barmaid? You? HA! I wish I could have seen that!" the pale green thief said while laughing.

Kim felt a blush rising on her cheeks at Shego's laughter. "Shut up! I only worked there for a month before I left," she said with a growl, she hated being laughed at.

"Alright, alright, continue please."

"Fine, if you would stop interrupting this would go faster," she paused to see if the older woman had something else smart to say but the dark haired vixen simply smirked and motioned for her to continue. "Good, now then, I only worked there for a month before I got a better offer though I refused it at first. It was the closing hours and I was working when some of the patrons thought that they'd take advantage of the poor helpless barmaid. Well, needless to say they found out pretty quickly I wasn't helpless. I beat them senseless. Unfortunately for me, they were soldiers of the local Lord. Before they could regain consciousness, a strange woman came up and told me who they were and what would happen to me." She paused to take a sip of wine before continuing.

"She said her name was Cristiana Caeronavar and she could get me to safety. Well, I took her up on her offer and we fled. When we reached her house on the outskirts of Bayeux, which is where I was, by the way, I thanked her and asked why she had helped me, she said that she'd been looking for a partner. Someone who could take out six guards with no problem was exactly what she was looking for."

"So wait, who was this woman? She was just in the habit of helping out strangers and then offering partnerships?"

Kim smiled at the question. To the casual observer it would just seem like a normal question, but even after so long, Kim still could read the pale woman. She could see the tightness around her mouth, the slight gripping of the chair's cushions which spoke of the jealousy running through Shego.

"As I said, she was Cristiana Caeronavar. As it so happens, she wasn't in the habit of helping out strangers. She wouldn't tell me what she did at first, said she wanted to test me. I stayed with her for about two weeks. She would test me at random times, middle of the night, at breakfast what have you. It didn't take me too long to figure out what she was when the testing involved picking locks and spotting traps. When I confronted her, she simply laughed in my face and told me that she was indeed a thief. I told her I wanted no part of being a thief and left." She paused here and stared into her goblet for so long Shego thought she might have fallen asleep. Just as she was about to say something Kim continued.

"I left, but she followed me. I didn't know it at the time. Then a man named Jean de la Roch, an old enemy of hers, robbed a noble and framed me for it. I was camping in the woods when the guards found me. Inside of my pack were the jewels that had been stolen. Of course the guards didn't believe me and took me in. While I was waiting in jail, guess who showed up? Said she knew who had set me up, if I joined her she'd teach me how to get revenge on him. Faced with the prospect of being killed, spending the rest of my life in the gulag or joining her, it wasn't a very hard choice," Kim took another sip before continuing.

"She broke me out of prison and we got away. She told me that an old enemy of hers had seen us together and tried to frame her new partner before we could do anything. I believed her, and so she trained me, taught me how to be thief, how to find plots within plots. That took nearly two and a half years of hard, intense training. At the start of the third year, we moved against the man who'd tried to set me up. It was surprisingly easy to find him; it was like he hadn't tried to hide from us. I guess after three years he thought we weren't going to come after him."

A very Shego-like smirk came across her face as she recalled what they had done to him. The irony was delicious and a rather nice touch she felt. "We robbed the very same noble who he'd robbed, took all the jewels along with all of the clothes and stashed them in Jeans' house before leaving an anonymous tip where to find everything." She let out a laugh. "You should have seen his face when he saw us, oh he was mad. Cursing us as they led him away to the gulag. He got what he deserved, trying to get me killed."

"That's very devious Pumpkin. I approve. So what made you decide to come back? Have you figured out who betrayed you?" Shego asked, taking another sip as she listened to Kim relate her tale.

"No, I haven't figured out who betrayed me yet, but I will. As for why I'm back, well I need some things. I've got about half of what I need but the rest is going to prove rather difficult to get. I'll, I mean we'll, have to travel quite a long ways to retrieve the rest of the items." Kim said finishing off her wine.

"Wait, why isn't Cristiana helping you? She is your _partner_ after all." Shego said, putting extra emphases and more than a little anger on the word. The lithe redhead let out little chuckle.

"Yes Shego, she was my partner. But she wasn't my lover. The reason she isn't here is that she doesn't want any part of what I'm doing. When we were in Argentan stealing a painting for a client we stumbled across a manuscript. In it was a tale about a suit of armor that granted the wearer immense power and strength. A Warlord wore that armor and conquered the surrounding lands in his small little corner of the world. It was said that he could cut a man in half with a single swing of his ax, or pull a man's head from his shoulders with bare hands. When he died, he was buried in his armor. It wasn't long before thieves broke in and stole everything. The armor scattered to the winds, but I've been tracking it down and I've almost got everything. With that armor nothing can stand in my way!" A nearly feral snarl was on her face by the time she finished and she was biting out the words.

Shego was a bit taken back by the sudden hatred in Kim's eyes. _Well they had killed her entire family!_ "Ok, but why isn't she helping you Kim? That armor doesn't sound so bad; in fact it sounds like a pretty handy thing to have."

Kim looked back at Shego, hatred still burning brightly in her eyes. "Because Shego, the reason he was able to do all of those things is because the armor is said to be possessed by a demon."

**There you have it, almost double the length of the other chapters. You know the drill. R&R please!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N- Sorry about the long wait between chapters. Took awhile to get everything right and ready to be read. Some humor, some drama and good times to be had within. Once again, many thanks to LoveRobin for Betaing this, all mistakes are mine and not hers. Enjoy!**

Kim looked back at Shego, hatred still burning brightly in her eyes. "Because Shego, the reason he was able to do all of those things is because the armor is said to be possessed by a demon."

Silence reigned in the small room after this proclamation. The dark-haired thief's mouth working up and down with no sound emerging. Kim sat in her chair, hate smoldering in her eyes, watching Shego try to process this new information.

"A-a demon? Like, 'I'll consume your soul from the fiery pits of Hell' kind of demon?"

Some of the dark emotion vanished from the small redhead's eyes at Shegos' question. "Yes Shego, that kind of demon. Though I don't think it's actually possessed, just probably one of the few magical relics left in the world. I'm positive it grants the wearer great strength, as legends always have a basis in truth. But truly possessed by a demon? I highly doubt that," Kim said, her normal expression reclaiming her features as she explained her theory.

"But, is it smart to potentially bet your soul on a theory? I know you can do anything, but pitting yourself against the denizens of the Underworld seems like it's beyond even you Princess." The pale green thief voiced her doubts on the subject. Rubbing a hand up and down her face, the lithe redhead let out the sigh of one explaining something obvious to a child.

"No Shego, I'm sure there is no demon possessing the armor. That's just ignorant peasant talk, which I'm sure the Warlord promoted to enhance his terrifying image. You know, make the enemy believe you're invincible and you've already beat them. Also, why would a demon posses something like that in some backwater little corner of the world? No, the armor is _magical_, but not _demon possessed_. If it was, why wouldn't it have simply possessed the thieves that came to steal it? Or the servants that prepared the Warlord for burial? Why allow itself to be basically imprisoned in the ground so it can never wreak havoc again?"

The older woman listened to the arguments the younger one put forth. She had to admit they made sense. Nodding her head and raising her goblet in a silent salute, the dark-haired thief conceded the argument.

"Alright Pumpkin, you've convinced me. So what's the next step? Do we look for the missing pieces or do we try and find who betrayed you?"

"Well, first we continue to collect the armor, once we have all of it, we'll move on to finding whoever killed my family. I already know where the next piece can be found, the vambraces are in a tomb in Italy. That's the closest piece and the one I was going after next," Kim explained standing up to stretch her arms above her head, giving a grunt of satisfaction as several vertebrae in her back popped. Dropping her arms back down to her sides, she strode towards the kitchen.

Glancing back to see if Shego was following her, which she was, the redhead began the task of cleaning up. Putting the food back into its proper place and taking the dishes to be washed.

"Are you just going to stand there or are you going to help me?" The redhead asked, looking back over her shoulder to see where the dark-haired vixen was. Said vixen was standing in the doorway between the kitchen and living room, staring at a certain area of her anatomy. Smirking, the redhead gave the afore mentioned area a shake, just a little payback for the game Shego had played with her on the ride here. Her smirk grew even bigger when she saw the pale green thief lick her lips and take a half step forward.

Biting her lip at the naughty thoughts which came to mind, Kim slowly bent over, pretending to look for something on the ground. A sharp intake of breath was her reward as a blush crept onto her face and heat spread throughout her body.

She never even heard Shego move, too caught up in pondering what she should do next to tease the woman behind her more. The open hand slap which caught her square on the butt was enough to quell all thoughts of teasing as she let out a startled squeak and shot straight up.

Whirling around, her face feeling like it was on fire from the intensity of her blush, she glared daggers at the smirking woman who was now face to face with her. Before she could open her mouth to scold the infuriating woman in front of her the dark-haired vixen beat her to the punch again.

"You really shouldn't tease unless you're willing to take the consequences. I thought you would know that about me by now Princess," Shego said, buffing her nails on her shirt with that damned smirk still on her face, oh how Kim loathed that look. The look which said 'yeah I'm bad, I'm great and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it.'

"I wasn't teasing! I was just um, bending over to check um, if my boots were still on. Yeah, so… there was no reason for you to smack me," Kim huffed, crossing her arms and looking off to the side. She knew it was a terribly lame excuse but it was the best she could come up with on the spot. A chuckle was her only answer as she felt a hand grip her chin turning her head to face the woman who was smiling gently at her.

Staring into the eyes of the thief she loved, she felt her embarrassment leaving her. Searching her love's eyes and seeing that love reflected back at her she could not help but return her smile. Her eyes fluttering closed as the older woman slowly closed the gap between them; a soft sigh escaped her when she felt the oh so soft lips caressing hers for the first time in years. Her arms came up to wrap around the neck of the elder, locking her in place whilst the mint-hued thief's arms came around her waist, securing their own lock.

She groaned, her mind almost over loading with pleasure when Shego caught her bottom lip between her teeth, gently biting it as she pulled away and rested her forehead against Kim's.

"So Kimmie, where am I sleeping?"

**Global Justice Headquarters**

Betty Director tapped her fingers against her chin as she went over the reports of the robberies committed by the Jade Fox. It was obvious whoever the Fox was and what their eventual plan entailed it involved a suit of armor which had pieces scattered all over. The only problem was she had no idea why the Fox needed said armor, or even which piece was next.

Leaning back in her chair and heaving a sigh, she brought a hand up to rub at her temples as she pondered the motives of this thief. _Why do you need this armor? What is so special about it? Where are you going to strike next? Damn it, how are you able to stay one step ahead of us with such ease? _A scowl spread across her face as she stood, moving to stand in front of the window in her office. Staring out over the fields with hands gripped tightly behind her back, she let herself slip deeper into her thoughts.

_I really wish Miss Possible was still around. Finding criminals like this Fox were her specialty. I wish I knew where she vanished to. Or who killed her family or even if she is still alive. With the King drawing closer to death each day it would be a great weight off my mind to know our next ruler would be as kind and wise as Miss Possible. _A rueful smile came over her at these thoughts. _As long as I'm wishing, I'd also like a month's vacation._

A knock on her door returned her to the present. "Enter," she called out, not turning from her view of the country side. Behind her the door opened and closed and footsteps come into the room to stop in front of her desk. After waiting nearly thirty seconds for whomever to speak up, she turned her head slightly to see who it was. _Of course it's Will. Never speaks first in the presence of a superior. _Turning back to her previous view she spoke first.

"Yes Will, what is it?"

"Ma'am, the searches have turned up nothing. No further sign of the thief. Our researchers have turned up nothing on the armor; who made it or was the original owner. The Duke could tell us little about his piece other than it had always been in his family for the majority of his life. Upon inheriting the dukal title he stored it with the rest of his father's personal possessions. Same is true of the other Nobles that had been robbed, Ma'am." Will concluded his report and waited for further instructions from his superior.

Betty let out a sigh, she had not really expected anything different but it was still a little disheartening to hear they could not identify which pieces comprise the armor or where they were located.

"Very well Will, have the researchers look farther back into the records, go several hundreds of years back. This armor has to exist in the texts somewhere for the Fox to have found it, which means that we can find it as well. Meanwhile, send some agents to begin looking for where the Fox gets the statues. Find out which ships are bringing in jade, statues or just raw materials. Whoever they are they have to be getting the statues or having them made somewhere. If we can find out where, we can find out who they are."

Will nodded his head as he cataloged all the instructions he was receiving. They made sense and hopefully would provide a way to catch this thief before whatever the plan was came to fruition. When Betty stopped he waited a few seconds before speaking. "I will let them know as soon as I leave. I will assign several agents to tracking down jade shipments and let the researchers know to expand their search. Will that be all Ma'am?"

"For now Will, for now. Dismissed."

Will cracked off a crisp salute even though the woman was facing the window and could not see him. Bringing his arm back down he turned and strode from the room, leaving the lone occupant to return to her thoughts while staring out the window.

**A Darkened Room**

A figure sat on a rather plush chair, fingers steepled in front of their face as they stared into the flames in the large fire place. "Soon, soon everything will be in place. I will be able to remove the last remaining obstacles in my path to the throne." A rather evil smirk crossed the figure's face.

A gentle knocking at the door drew the gaze of the person to the door, a few seconds passed before they called out a command to enter. A lithe figure entered, closing the door gently behind them as they moved to stand behind the seated figure.

"It's not polite to vanish from your own birthday celebration my dear. Your guests are wondering where their host has gone off to." A pair of arms encircled the seated figure, while a mouth places a gentle kiss to a cheek.

"Bah! Those guests are merely parasites, devouring my food and drinking my wine while caring not at all about what day it is. They only see it as an excuse to drink at someone else's expense." A wicked grin. "I wonder what they would say, if they knew what I have done. What I plan to do to them once I rule this country. I doubt they would be enjoying themselves quite so much if they did." A maniacal laugh erupted from the figure as thoughts and images of what those fools were in for once power was theirs.

A soft chuckle joined in the laugh, reminding the other they were not alone. "Yes, they most surely shall suffer, but until that time, you must act the proper host and appear before your guests. Happy to see them and all the other duties that fall to you. Now, up you get and back to the party we shall go."

"Right you are, as always my dear." The figure pulled themselves from the chair and turned to their companion, offering their arm. "Well, shall we?"

"Of course, it will be a pleasure. Make it through this night and then we can get back to matters that are truly important. Now, put on a smile and go mingle with everybody."

Linking arms, they moved towards the door and the revelers who lay beyond.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN- Holy crap, has it really been nearly a year since I updated this? I'm so sorry everybody, I don't really have an excuse except I'm rather lazy and had not been feeling in the mood to write for the longest time. But some happy news, I'm back and got this chapter done as well as chapter seven which is being Betaed as we speak, so I'll hopefully have that up soon as well. I'll try not to let such a horribly long time go between updates again so feel free to poke me every now and again. Once again, much love and many thanks to my wonderful Beta Love Robin. And as always, enjoy reading and if you would kindly leave a review I would be very happy. Thanks to everyone who simply reads this as well, I hope you like it. Now then, enough babbling from me, on with the story!**

"So Kimmie, where am I sleeping?"

Seconds ticked by as Kim stared into the eyes of the thief which she still had her arms wrapped around.

"W-what?" she shook herself from the mesmerizing gaze, " Where are you sleeping?"

"I didn't stutter Pumpkin, unlike you I might add; it's a very simple question. Where. Am. I. Sleeping?" Shifting herself ever so slightly so that she was just barely brushing against the smaller woman, she let her voice drop to a sultry whisper at the end.

Having to take a deep breath and letting out an audible gulp, Kim managed to speak. "Um, well, I don't know. Where do you want to sleep?" The redhead bit her lip, pulling back a bit so she could look Shego in the face properly, looking for a hint of what she was thinking. The dark-haired vixen stared back into her eyes, giving away no hint before responding.

"I'll sleep wherever you want me to, although I would say that I am accustomed to sleeping in a bed. I would prefer if I had a bedmate but, I suppose, it's up to you." Running a hand up Kim's back to draw lazy circles, placing a quick kiss on the lithe girl locked in her arms, jade eyes continuing to look into leaf green ones.

Feeling another blush flowing across her face and warming her cheeks, she was unsure how to respond. She had been expecting Shego to demand that she give up her bed to her or flatly state she was going to share with her and that would be the end of it. The fact she was doing neither of those, was in fact forcing an invitation out of her, was throwing her off her game. She wanted to share with the pale green woman in her arms yet at the same time she was very nervous.

Had too much time passed? Was it acceptable to share a bed after not seeing each other in four years? _Of course it is dummy; otherwise she wouldn't have suggested it._ A little voice came from the back of her mind. Frowning at the sudden appearance of a voice in her head, one which sounded suspiciously like the woman in her arms, Kim promptly silenced it by shoving the uppity thing to the darkened corners of her mind. Well, it did have a point. Shego obviously missed her a lot and had no problem sharing her bed once again.

"Well, I only have the one bed, so I guess we'll have to share."

"Gosh, don't sound so happy when you say it Kimmie."

"Sorry, it's just everything is happening kind of suddenly you know? I mean, I don't see you for four years and I know that's my fault," she said seeing a frown suddenly come across the woman's face. "But I don't see you and then suddenly you pop back into my life, offering to help and treating me much better than I deserve after abandoning you, wanting to share my bed. It's just all a little overwhelming. Don't get me wrong, I'm beyond ecstatic you're back, but I might need a little time to adjust. Just, please be patient with me." Glancing into the older woman's eyes, sending her an imploring look she tightened her grip just a bit.

One eyebrow slowly rising at the unexpected heart pouring, the mint-hued thief stared at the woman in her arms. "Ok, if it's too sudden and you'd feel more comfortable with me in another room I understand."

"No!" the younger woman came back a bit too forceful. Then calmer, "I mean, no. I don't mind sharing; in fact I _want_ to share with you. I guess it's just been a really long day and I don't know exactly what I'm saying." Reaching up, gently grasping the dark-haired vixen at the base of her skull, pulling her down so she could rest her forehead against hers to whisper, "Let's just head to bed and get some sleep, ok?"

"Ok Pumpkin, I guess it has been a rather long day, with a rather big surprise for you huh? Lead the way and don't worry, I'll be a perfect gentlewoman."

The smaller woman could not keep a small smile off her face at that. "Ok, let's go." Thus having decided on a course of action, she pulled away from the pale green thief, sliding hand down along arm before clasping hands. With a gentle tug she led the way to her small bedroom. "Well, here it is, not much to look at but it gets the job done."

The dark-haired vixen's sharp eyes swept around the room, noting where everything was and how it was arranged, including slight scuff marks where the dresser seemed to have been moved back and forth several times. "Not bad Kimmie, not bad at all. Alright, enough standing around and talking we've got things to do on the morrow." Moving for the bed, pulling the covers back Shego began undressing.

The younger woman stood transfixed, mesmerized by the sight before her. Her leaf green eyes swept up and down the other's form hungrily, greedily devouring a sight which had been denied her gaze for four long years.

"Gonna stare all night or are you coming to bed?"

Flushing a deep shade of scarlet, the smaller thief blinked rapidly in surprise at being caught staring. _How did she know? She's not even looking this way! _

"I can feel your eyes on me Princess."

Mouth moving up and down like a fish, Kim tried to get her voice to work. To deny staring. Or something. Just as something came into her mind, a really crushing retort, the sight of the dark-haired vixen looking back over a shoulder sent all rational thoughts fleeing from the redheads mind at the sight. "I know I'm drop dead sexy but we've already established we're going to bed. Now then, get your butt over here and ready for bed."

Snapping out it, Kim began her own preparations. Shucking and putting away her clothes, she made sure to place her weapons within easy reach. Sneaking a peak to see what Shego was doing she saw with a twinge of disappointment the other already in bed with covers in place. Climbing in she tried to get settled, she could feel her bed mate watching.

Digging an elbow into the mattress she turned onto her side, away from Shego. Grinning to herself, she could almost feel the other frowning. "Well, good night Shego. See you in the morn-oof!" grunting as an arm snaking about the waist snatched her a little tighter than strictly necessary before pulling her back against the other's body.

"Shego? What's wrong?" she asked, barely containing her mirth as she heard the older woman growl at her. Reaching down she patted the arm around her while shooting a quick glance over her shoulder at the woman behind her. Snapping her head back around to the front her giggles could no longer be contained. She had been correct; Shego did indeed have a frown on her face causing her to look, in Kim's opinion, utterly adorable. "I thought we were going to sleep? Why are you getting all… _EEP_!"

Her words cut off upon feeling teeth on the back of her neck, hard enough to make her take notice yet not enough to break skin.

"Kimmie?"

"Um, yes Shego?"

"Ho t'ped."

"Ok." Even though the words were slurred Kim knew it was 'go to bed'.

Once confirming the girl in her arms was going to sleep and would not bother her anymore, the teeth released to be briefly replaced with lips.

"Good night Kimmie."

"Good night Shego."

Lifting onto an elbow, leaning over to the small table next to the bed, Kim blew out the lamp, plunging the room into darkness. "See you in the morning Shego."

"Go to sleep Pumpkin."

Snuggling further into Shego's embrace, feeling safer than she had in a very long time, Kim's eyes slid shut, a blissful sigh escaping her lips as she drifted off to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Kim let out a groan as the rays of the sun invaded her room and found her unprotected eyes.

Rolling over she reached out an arm trying to find and pull back into her the comforting warmth that had shared her bed. A frown sprung up on her face as her searching hand found only cold blankets and not even an indentation to show that someone else had been there. Eye cracking open the frown deepened as her sense of sight confirmed what touch had already reported. Shego was not in her bed and from what she could tell had not been for some time.

Pushing herself into a sitting position while glancing around, a yawn escaped her as she wondered where the pale woman had gone off to. A thought flashing across her mind paralyzed her for a few seconds before exploding into action. _What if I only imagined it? What if I only dreamed that Shego showed up and forgave me? That she agreed to help me? _

Grabbing the covers and tossing them off of her she surged to her feet, eyes darting frantically around her room she saw no sign that the older woman had been there. _Ok, just calm down. Just because her clothes aren't here doesn't mean that she isn't. She didn't have any other clothes and probably put on the ones she had on last night. Yeah, that's it. She's probably in the kitchen getting something to eat._

Calming herself slightly with these placating thoughts, Kim realized she could simply call for the dark haired thief. Feeling slightly stupid for not having thought of this first she called out. "Shego? Are you here?"

She paused, waiting anxiously for an answer.

"Shego?"

Silence was the only response. _Ok, don't panic. Maybe…maybe she has her mouth full and can't answer._

Beginning to walk towards her kitchen Kim could not keep the worry that was starting to eat at her at bay. "Come on Shego, answer me." She tried again as she neared the doorway leading into her kitchen. Silence once again was her only answer. "I swear Shego if you're trying to scare me I'm going to really kick your butt." She tried to make herself sound menacing as she rounded the corner.

The table and chairs sat dutifully in their assigned places, as was everything else. Her expression crumpling into one of sadness as she came to the conclusion that she had indeed only dreamed Shego had come back to her.

Dragging her feet she moped over to one of her chairs, gripping it tightly she yanked it back with more force than was strictly necessary. Glaring down at it as though it was the cause for her mood she was about to plop down into it and sulk for a good long while when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye.

Turning her head sharply to try and catch the movement again, a snarl cut across her face as her vision filled with the sight of her barn and a silhouette of someone passing between the two doors that were opened.

Someone was in her barn! Askari!

Coming to her feet she slipped out of her house without making a sound. Making her way towards the structure she made sure to keep low to the ground and out of sight of anyone who might be glancing out of the doorway or one of the windows. Slinking up to the door, pressing an ear against it she held her breath as she tried to hear anything coming from inside.

The only thing she could hear was a soft whiny from Askari and the gentle scuffing of his hoofs. Confusion twisted her face as she pondered this revelation. Who was in her barn and how had they managed to placate Askari? She knew the proud horse would never allow someone he did not know near him and even then he usually whinnied loud enough to wake the dead.

"You just going to crouch there all day?"

Kim could not stop the startled scream from escaping her, though she quickly cut it off. Whirling around she spotted the source of the unexpected voice. Shego, her elbows leaning on a windowsill with her hands propping up her chin, a rather amused expression on her face as she observed the startled redhead before her.

"Shego!"

"Kimmie!"

"What are you doing in there? I thought you were…," She trailed off, realizing it had not just been a dream.

"You thought I was what?"

"Never mind, it's not important. Now answer my question."

An elegant eyebrow rising at the redhead's words, her smirk appearing across her face in tandem. "What if I don't feel like answering your question until you answer mine? In fact, I _don't_ feel like answering your question until you answer mine. Now spill Pumpkin or you can spend all day wondering what I'm doing in here."

Kim glared at the insufferable woman in the window, trying to silently will her into answering first. Her only response was that damned smirk which showed no signs of disappearing anytime soon. Her glare intensified in response as her arms came up, folding them across her chest as she redoubled her silent willing.

The only change she could detect in Shego was that her eyes were now shining with mirth, which told Kim that Shego found this to be highly entertaining and would keep it up just to see how long it would go on. Heaving a sigh as she realized that there was no way she was going to win this one, her eyes dropping to the ground, silently conceding Shego to be the victor to this particular battle.

As her eyes were dropped she was spared the sight of the victorious grin flashing like a shooting star across Shego's face before disappearing.

"…," the lithe girl mumbled as she stared down at the ground.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't quite catch that. Would you mind repeating it?"

Leaf green eyes darting up quickly to lock briefly with jade green ones before once more focusing on the ground. "I said, when I woke up this morning you were gone and I was afraid that I'd dreamed the whole thing up about you coming back to me and I'm glad it wasn't a dream."

After a few seconds of silence, Kim dared another glance up at Shego. What she saw sent a rush of euphoria spreading across her body and a happy light feeling in her chest.

Shego was smiling at her, not her usual smirk but a genuine heartfelt smile, soft and gentle, full of warmth and love. "I was getting to know Askari a little better. Would you like to get something to eat?" Disappearing from the window before shortly reappearing in the doorway with the gentle smile still illuminating her face the older woman motioned back towards the house.

"Ok, did you feed him while you were getting to know him better?" the younger asked as she allowed herself to be turned around and led back to her house. A chuckle answered her as the elder shook her head.

"How do you think I was able to get near him? Honestly Kimmie, it was a little bit sad how easy your horse is to win over. All it took was an apple and some oats and I had him literally eating out of the palm of my hand."

Kim rolled her eyes at this, shooting a quick glance behind her to see Askari was still happily munching on said oats.

"Nice to know that it only takes an apple to win my horse over." The small thief said as she walked back into her kitchen and began looking around for something to munch on, deciding on an apple of all things. Settling down at her table she waited for Shego to join her with her own breakfast.

"Alright Pumpkin, what's our plan?" Taking a bite out of her own apple, the elder of the two gazed at her while she waited for the answer.

"Well, since I already know where to get the next piece of the armor, I was going to head there and retrieve it. It's located in the tombs underneath the estate of the Vallenche family, which is in Cinque Terre. It's a collection of five towns in the Ligurian cliffs along Italy's western coast."

Pausing to take a bite of her apple Kim took the time afforded her by doing this to get her next thoughts in order. "It's going to take a few months to get there, then it's going to take awhile to learn the layouts of the estate, whatever traps and security they'll have and how to defeat them, you know the routine. After that it's going to be a bit harder, I'm going to have to figure out where the next piece of the armor is and I'm afraid that's going to take awhile."

Shego nodded, placing her apple core on the table before leaning forward on her elbows to stare intently at the smaller thief seated across from her. "Ok, so that seems like a pretty sound plan. I don't know anything about the Vallenche family so I don't have any insight into that area but I can help with the tomb. I've been in more than my fair share of them and most of them are rather boringly similar shockingly enough. The same pressure plate traps that either drop you into a pit or the ceiling on you, or shoot darts; arrows and spears at you, maybe, _maybe_ a few false walls or corridors if you're lucky. Other than that there really isn't any creativity that goes into their construction."

"Well, then that means we'll have a basic idea of what to expect when we head there. But don't get cocky Shego; they might have something in there that you're not expecting." A scoff was her answer to this statement as the mildly insulted woman leaned back in her chair.

"Don't forget who you're talking to here Little Miss Priss, I've been breaking into tombs much longer than you have and I know not to get cocky before you're even in the same country as your mark." She waggled her finger at Kim with a slight scowl on her face.

"Ok ok, I know you know better. It's just I'm getting used to working with a partner again and I'm still testing the waters, so to speak. I'll remember it and I'll try not to give you obvious instructions again, ok?" The younger woman hastily explained, hoping she had not upset Shego too much.

Mollified, Shego resumed her previous position. "Alright, just so long as we're clear on who's been the thief longer. Now how are you planning on learning about the estate?"

Breathing a small sigh of relief that she was not in trouble, Kim placed her own apple core on the table next to Shego's. "Well, there are always servants that can be bribed or gotten drunk enough to loosen their tongues. I could always try to seduce one of the Vallenche family and get them to tell me the secrets."

At the look of intense displeasure on her companion's face she quickly added. "Though that is only a last ditch, desperate all other methods have failed measure that I would never ever seriously consider using."

Seeing the displeasure fading from the elder's face and being replaced with approval and a nod she let out another small sigh of relief. _I've been doing that more in the past twenty four hours than I have in the last four years!_

Shaking her head at this new revelation she continued on with her preliminary plans. "I could always try to figure out who built the tombs and try and see if I could get the building schematics from them somehow. Other than that I'm not really sure. Do you have any thoughts on how to go about it?" she asked, trying to show that she was conceding to Shego's superior knowledge in the thieving arts.

The elder woman could not keep the smug smile off her face; she could see that Kim was trying to curry favor with her by asking if she knew any other ways. "No, those are the surest ways to getting the info you need. Though it's possible that we could get some information about them from some of my contacts. It's even possible that the local thieves' guild would know about them but then they might try and take a portion of our haul as a fee for operating in their city. Though I don't know if Cinque Terre has a thieves guild or not. It's something to look into when we get to the city."

"Ok, I think we can manage that. I'll start getting everything ready for our passage to Italy." Pushing herself onto her feet the redhead collected the two apple cores moving to the window and pitching them into the yard for the birds and squirrels to fight over. "So, are we good?"

Her answer was a pair of arms sliding around her waist and pulling her flush against the taller woman's body.

_How come I can never hear her moving?_ This thought flashed briefly in her mind before she felt a soft pair of lips gently pressing against the shell of her ear before whispered words slid into her ear. "We are now."

Smiling softly, she brought one of her arms up to rest gently on the arms around her middle while raising the other up and behind her to gently caress the cheek of the woman behind her.

Her smile growing even brighter as she felt the arms around her middle tightening and the gentle nuzzling of her palm, she let her head gently tip back to rest against the wonderful woman behind her. Casting her eyes up to lock with the dark haired vixen's she let her happiness and adoration for the woman shine in her eyes as she stretched up and gave her a soft peck on the lips. "Thank you, for everything Sheshona," she whispered softly.

"You're welcome Kim," came the reply, just as soft.

They both turned to look out the window, watching as the first of the birds found the apple core, pondering the future and what it would hold for them.


End file.
